The book is about Toronto, as you know. And the website, which is a collaboration with Patrick Davidson, is designed as a means for me to talk to people about the City. By sharing excerpts from interviews I’ve been doing, and by eliciting comments and contributions from others.

When I was sent on a publicity tour across Canada with my book on Emily Carr, I was thunderstruck by the stories and anecdotes people in the audience came up with. There lay a gold mine of material, I marvelled. And that prompted me to think I should perhaps have done the tour before writing the book.

www.whatistoronto.ca is my attempt to do the tour before writing the book — to invite participation in the project from people I don`t know. And those who I do know.